After Multiple Input Multiple Output (Multiple Input Multiple Output, MIMO) is introduced into a downlink of Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, WCDMA), the throughput of a cell can be improved. A pilot mode that may be used in 4-transmit antenna MIMO may be simultaneous transmission of a common pilot (Common Pilot) and a dedicated pilot (Dedicated Pilot), where the common pilot is used for channel estimation and generating Precoding Control Indication (Precoding Control Indication, PCI), and the dedicated pilot is used for decoding data. This mode can reduce the amount of precoding information of which a base station (NodeB) informs a user equipment (User Equipment, UE). The number of dedicated pilots is related to the number of data layers, and therefore the NodeB needs to inform a UE of a channelization code used by a downlink dedicated pilot, so as to allow the UE to decode the obtained dedicated pilot. However, there is no specific solution where the NodeB informs a UE of a channelization code of a dedicated pilot in the prior art.